CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
12 December 2008
Product News
IFS Strengthens Its Maintenance Suite with Constraint-Based Scheduling for Defense
IFS has enhanced its maintenance suite with constraint-based scheduling for repair shops in the aerospace and defense industry.
Managing planning in large maintenance shops is a challenge for both fleet operators and service providers in this industry. The Constraint-Based Scheduling tool for Work Orders is designed to effectively plan, release and execute work on the shop floor while working around constrained resources. Constraints are dealt with through synchronization of tasks, having the correct tools in place, releasing work only when spare parts are accessible and ensuring that the necessary skills are available as needed.
The functionality allows companies to predict how project changes will affect the date when a unit will be released back to service. Unlike the manufacturing industry, maintenance shops have high variability, as new work packages are often added and changed. A simulation tool that advises on whether extra work can be accommodated without jeopardizing the delivery date aids in project decision-making.
The tool can also help with lean maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) programs. These initiatives are often “point initiatives,” achieving optimization in only one area of operation. IFS’ Constraint-Based Scheduling for Work Orders, however, focuses on the entire value stream to identify bottlenecks and achieve the highest possible throughput.
“Currently, many defense organizations are outsourcing maintenance and modification programs to the industry on availability and capability contracts. The industry has a lot to gain by improving the turnaround times by introducing more sophisticated planning,” IFS CEO Alastair Sorbie said. “This focused product development is aimed at supporting one of our global strategies targeted towards the Performance Based Logistics (PBL) market, typically where we supply logistics solutions when payments for repairs and services are dependent on how well the repair shops perform in terms of waiting times,” Sorbie said.
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